ASK TOM WHY

Tom SkillingCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Dear Tom,

I have friends in the Los Angeles area, and they are always complaining about water shortages out there. Are they exaggerating?

Lewis Stinson

Dear Lewis,

Believe them. California is suffering through a long drought (now in its third consecutive year), and water shortages are approaching crisis levels. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Friday, an action that urges cities, towns and water agencies to reduce water use by 20 percent. Mandatory rationing is an option if conservation measures are insufficient.

The damage is staggering: Agricultural losses could reach $2.8 billion this year, and 95,000 jobs are in jeopardy.

California derives much of its water from snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, but the snowpack is only 78 percent of normal.